Record cabinet tray slide and support



Oct. 29, 1963 H. WOOD 3,103,841 7 RECORD CABINET TRAY SLIDE AND SUPPORT Filed Aug. 22, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet l A'r-rYS.

Oct. 29, 1963 H. L. WOOD RECORD CABINET TRAY SLIDE AND SUPPORT Filed Aug. 22, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. HAMILTON L. WooD Arrvs.

United States Patent pmi 3,108,841 RECGRD CABHNET TRAY SLIDE AND SUPPORT Hamiiton L. Wood, Charlottesviile, Va, assignor to Acme Visible Records, Inc, 'Crozet, Va, a corporation of Delaware Filed Aug. 22, 1962, Ser. No. 218,614 1t Claims. (Cl. 312-468) This invention relates to improvements in record filing cabinet devices.

More particularly the present invention relates to improvements in means associated with filing cabinets of the forwardly open type wherein the cabinet houses a plurality of superimposed horizontally disposed, vertically spaced drawers or trays, each drawer or tray being carried by a slidably mounted support means. These support means are adapted to move forwardly of the cabinet front to a limited distance, with the trays remaining pivotaily engaged thereto and adapted to be inclined downwardly for operative access to record means carried by or filed on the trays.

The present invention is particularly concerned with the aforesaid movable support means, hereinafter referred to as a tray slide and support, a pair of the aforesaid tray slide and support devices being mounted in slidable engagement with uprights associated with the opposed sides of the filing cabinet. These tray slide and support devices comprise rails or channel-like cndwise closed components and pairs of them are mounted opening toward each other and slid-ably receive pivots or pintles extending laterally from the inner or rear end of the trays which are adapted to be associated therewith.

As indicated, a support for each tray requires an opposed pair of tray slide and support devices with their channels opening toward each other and one on the right and another on the left-hand side of the cabinet. Heretofore, this has required members composed of a plurality of assembled pieces slidably mounted in means associatedwith the aforementioned uprights disposed within the cabinet. Such mounting and slidable association has also heretofore often required the use of various tools and appurtenances for bringing about such slidable association all requiring various degrees of skill. Furthermore, when once so associated the tray slide and support could not be readily disassociated from within the cabinet should re placement thereof he required.

As distinguished from the foregoing and in accordance with the present invention, it is an object to provide a onepiece tray slide and support blanked and formed complete from a single strip of metal and without necessity for association of added rollers, clips, stops, and the like which have heretofore been attached by additional welding, riveting or other fastening operations.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a unitary tray slide and support which can be quickly and conveniently inserted in its proper place in the cabinet by extending it within suitably formed retainer lugs carried by the cabinet interior -i'1prights without the aid of tools and which can in like manner be readily disassociated for replacement when desired or required.

It is a further object of several modified embodiments of the present invention to provide unitary tray slide and supports which can be used for association with either the right or left-hand side of the cabinet, thus simplifying forming operations and inventory requirements and accounting.

Other objects relating to the details of construction, arrangement of parts and economies thereof will be apparent from a consideration of the following specification and drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a record card filing cabiareas n Patented Get. 29, 1963 net embodying the present invention and illustrating one of the component trays thereof in withdrawn and operatively inclined position.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of one of a pair of my onepiece tray slide and supports viewed from the inner side thereof, and

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the other one, of the pair of said one-piece tray slide and supports viewed from the outer or rear side thereof.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary view of one end of a strip of metal blanked to form the one-piece tray slide and supports of the present invention, just prior to forming thereof.

FIG. 5 is a front elevational view of the blank of FIG. 4 formed into the one-piece tray slide and support of the present invention, and

FIG. 6 is a top plan view of the device shown in FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary view of one interior side or face of a record filing cabinet having slidably mounted thereon the one-piece tray slide and supports of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a section on the line 88 of FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary enlarged detailed sectional view taken on the line 9'9 of FIG. 7.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a modified form of my one-piece tray slide and support viewed from the inner side thereof.

Referring to the drawings, the reference numeral 10 generally indicates a record filing cabinet to which the improved means of the present invention are adapted. This cabinet comprises a pair of opposed side walls 11, top 12, and similar bottom and rear walls as will be understood, and an open front -13. Secured against the inner surfaces of each of the side walls 11 are a pair of spaced uprights or wall channel members comprising web portions 1-4 and flange members 15 secured by leg components 16 to wall 11. The adjacent flange members 15, 15 which, as will be hereinafter explained, serve as abutment means, are surfaced with strips of resilient material 17 which may be of felt, rubber, porous or foamed plastic or the like, for cushioning purposes when the opposed stop members 18, 18 are alternately brought into contact with one or the other of the cushions 17.

The aforesaid uprights or wall channel members are formed with a plurality of horizontally extending struckup L-shaped lug or guide members 19 projecting upwardly and the similar members 20 extending downwardly, between which are slidably sup-ported the one-piece tray slide and support units generally indicated as 21. Although the illustrations of FIGS. 7 and 8 show these lugs 1b and 20 on one upright, it will be understood that they are similarly provided onthe spaced upright indicated at the right side of FIGS. 7 and 8 in identical manner. FIG. 7 further shows a plurality of opposed sets of lugs 19 and 20 spaced in a manner whereby a plurality of units 21 may be slidably received and retained between them.

As appears from FIGS. 7 and 9, the upper lugs 20 are longer than the lower lugs 19, the distance between their remote ends or webs 22, 23 being greater than the Width of the backing strip component 24 of unit 21, and the distance between adjacent ends of the lugs 19 and 20 being less than the width of strip 24 but greater than the distance between the rails 25 and 26 for reasons which will be hereinafter explained.

Although one side wall 11 is shown in detail in FIGS. 7, 8 and 9, it will be understood that each side is formed in a similar manner so that opposed tray slide and support units 21 are similarly mounted on each side with their rails 25 and 26 projecting toward each other as indicated in FIG. 1 for joint slidable support of a tray 27.

The unitary tray slide and support characterizing the a is present invention, as previously indicated, is formed from a single strip of metal blanked as indicated in FIG. 4, one-half being shown in this figure since in accordance with the present invention both opposed ends are of the same shape, with the exception of the provision of one slot 29 for the form of FIG. 2, none for the form of FIG. 3, and one adjacent each end for the form of FIG. 10.

The half strip blank shown in FIG. 4 is formed with a pair of spaced longitudinally extending slots 28, 28 and a transverse slot 29 adjacent one end. A further longitudinal partial cut is formed at 30 leaving a tongue 18.

This blank of FIG. 4 is then formed by bending so that it takes on a shape as shown in the detail of FIG. 9 to provide a pair of rails 25 and 26, rail 25 being the lower rail and being relatively wider than the upper rail 26. The rail 25 is formed by bending the strip of FIG. 4 on the line 31 at a right angle to the portion 32 which then becomes a web between the rails 25 and 26. The rail 26 comprises the portion 26 bent at a right angle on the line 33 to the web 32 and the portion 26" returnbent on the line 34. The strip portion 35 is bent on the line 36 at a right angle to the portion 26" and then the remaining strip 24 is return-bent on the line 37 against the web 32. The width of the strip 24 is such that it projects in a resulting flange 38 above the rail 26 and in a flange 39 below the rail 25. The folding of the metal strip on the line 34 results in the two slots 23 becoming in registry as indicated in FIG. 9.

Similarly, when provided therewith, the transverse slot 29 which extends across the components 26', 26" results in a notch 29 adjacent one or each end of the rail 26 and opening to the free edge of said rail, as in FIGS. 2 or respectively. The tongues 18 adjacent each end of the unit 21 within the strip component 24 are bent at an angle to form an opposed spaced pair of stops also indicated as 18, extending in a direction opposite that of the rails. End stops 40 are integral at each end with a lower rail 25 and bent up arcuately to terminate between the contiguous folded sections 26' and 26" forming the upper rail 26 at each opposed end of the blank, all components being thus unitary.

The spacing of the stops 18, 18 from each other is less than that of the distance between the adjacent channels 15, of the spaced uprights against each wall 11 as shown in FIG. 7, so that when the units 21 are engaged between the lugs 19 and 29 carried by each up right, the units 21 will be slidable for a limited distance either forwardly or rearwardly to the limit of the stops, the rearward stop being shown in abutment against the rearward resilient strip 17 on upright flange 15. This is the normal position of a unit 21 when the tray 27 carried thereon is elevated to horizontal position and nested within the cabinet 10.

For withdrawal and operative use as shown in FIG. 1, the tray 27, which is slidably carried on an opposed pair of lower rails 25, upon being withdrawn for operative use engages the end member 40 which extends between and encloses the rails 25, 26, and causes the units 21 to slide forwardly by reason of abutment of the laterally extending pivot pins 41 at the rear end of the tray. The pins 41, as conventional, extend within the channel, in this case formed by the upper and lower rails and 26, whereupon the tray being withdrawn from Within the cabinet can pivot downwardly as shown in FIGS. 1 and 7 for operative use and inspection in conventional manner. Forward movement of the two opposed units 21 carrying tray 27 is of course limited by abutment of the forward stops 18 against cushions 17 on the flange 15 as shown dotted in FIG, 7.

In assembly, it is only necessary to first insert a onepiece tray slide and support unit 21 endwise between an opposed set of lugs 19 and 2th on the inner or rearmost upright web 14. Thereupon, the slot 23 at the forward end of the unit 21 is aligned with 2. lug 29 adjacent 4 c the front of the cabinet, and the front end of the unit 21 lifted so that the lug 2t enters the slot 23 until the lower flange 39 clears the end of the lower lug 19. Thereupon the lower flange 39 can then be lowered within the confines of the lower lugs 19, the upper flange 38 being still retained by the upper lug 2i) by reason of the length of the latter as aforesaid.

In this manner, the one-piece tray slide and support units 21 are slidably retained adjacent the side walls 11 of the cabinet and are free to slide in their limited travel in relation to the cabinet as hereinbefore described. When it is desired to remove a unit 21, this may be readily accomplished in the reverse order previously described, namely merely by aligning the unit so that one of the slots 23 which is near the front of the cabinet is aligned with an adjacent lug 20 and then by lifting the front end of the unit 21 so that the lug 20 enters the slot 28, the lower flange 39 may be disengaged from the lower lug 19, and then the front end of the unit 21 lowered so that the flange 38 is released from the confines of lug 20.

Thereupon the unit 21 is moved forwardly to withdraw.

it from the confines of the inwardly or rearwardly disposed pairs of lugs 19 and 20.

In the preferred embodiment of the present invention I employ one unit 21, as in FIG. 2, wherein the upper rail 26 has only one slot 29 adjacent one end and engage it to the inside of the cabinet so that the end with the slot 29 is disposed forwardly. On the opposite face of the cabinet I engage a unit 21, as in FIG. 3, having no notch in its rail 26. A tray 27 is engaged to the aforesaid pair of units 21 by extending one of its pivot pins 41 between flanges 25 and 26 of the unit of FIG. 3, and its other pin through the slot 29 in the rail 26 of the opposed unit 21 of the form of FIG. 2. Although this arrangement requires the provision of separate right and left hand units 21, it provides for greater security against accidental disengagement of the tray.

In a modified arrangement, one form of unit 21, as in FIG. 2, can be employed for both the right and left hand rails, requiring manufacture and stocking of a single form. In this case the slot 29 in the unit 21 on the left hand side is disposed near the rear wall of the cabinet.

In another modified arrangement the symmetrical form of unit 21 as in FIG. 10 is employed on both the right and left hand sides of the cabinet, likewise permitting manufacture and stocking of a single type of this unit. When employing an opposed pair of units of this construction the pivot pins 41 at the opposed sides of a tray 27 can be jointly inserted in an adjacent opposed pair of slots 29 in the tray slides.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that the present invention provides a novel one-piece tray slide and support adapted for separable engagement with and slidable reception in retainer lugs carried on the interior of an open front filing cabinet, the tray slide and support being composed of a single strip of metal of symmetrical construction which can be engaged to the inner surfaces of a cabinet of the class described, and similarly disengaged therefrom without the requiring of separate fastening tools or appliances.

It will be apparent to one skilled in the art that variations in the details of the present invention may be made which do not depart from the spirit thereof and, hence, it is not intended that the present invention be limited to the exact details shown and described except as necessitated by the appended claims.

This application is a continuation-in-part of my copending application, Serial 'No. 196,352, filed May 21, 1962 and now abandoned.

I claim:

1. A one-piece tray slide and support for separable engagement with and slidable reception in retainer lugs carried by a forwardly open filing cabinet, said tray slide and support being composed of a strip of metal blanked and formed to define a pair of spaced parallel rails, a web extending between and normal to said rails, and upper and lower flanges projecting laterally of and normal to said rails for reception in said lugs, the lower one of said rails being wider than the upper one, the upper rail being formed adjacent each end portion with a slot adjacent said web for reception of one of said retainer lugs.

2. A one-piece tray slide and support for separable engagement with and slidable reception in retainer lugs carried by a forwardly open filing cabinet, said tray slide and support being composed of a strip of metal blanked and formed to define a pair of spaced parallel rails, closures at the opposed ends of said rails, a web extending between and normal to said rails, a contiguous backing strip in plane parallel relationship to sm'd web defining upper and lower flanges projecting laterally of said rails, the lower one of said rails being wider than the upper one, the upper rail being formed adjacent at least one end portion with a notch for reception of a laterally projecting tray pintle and with a slot adjacent said web for reception of one of said retainer lugs.

3. A one-piece tray slide and support for separable engagement with and slidable reception in retainer lugs carried by a forwardly open filing cabinet, said tray slide and support being composed of a strip of metal blanked and formed to define a pair of spaced parallel rails, closures at the opposed ends of said rails, a web extending between and normal to said rails, a contiguous backing strip in plane parallel relationship to said web defining upper and lower flanges projecting laterally of said rails for reception in said lugs, the lower one of said rails being wider than the upper one, the upper ra-il being formed adjacent each end portion with a slot adjacent said web for reception of one of said retainer lugs, and a spaced pair of longitudinally spaced stop elements projecting from said backing strip in a direction opposed to said rails for abutment against means in said cabinet for limiting sliding movement of said tray slide and support therein.

4. The tray slide and support of claim .3 wherein said upper rail is formed adjacent one end with a notch for reception of a laterally projecting tray pintle.

5. The tray slide and suppont of claim 3 wherein said upper rail is formed adjacent each end portion with a notch for reception of a laterally projecting tray pintle.

6. The combination with a forwardly open filing cabinet of a one-piece tray slide and support in separable engagement with and slidable reception between retainer lugs carried by spaced uprights secured to a side wall of said cabinet, said tray slide and support being composed of a strip of metal blanked and formed to define a pair of spaced parallel rails, closures at the opposed ends of said rails, a web extending between and normal to said rails, a contiguous backing strip in plane parallel relationship to said web defining upper and lower flanges projecting outwardly of said rails, the lower one of said rails being wider than the upper one and adapted to slidably support a filing tray thereon, the upper rail being formed adjacent each end portion with a slot adjacent said web for reception of one of said retainer lugs.

7. The combination with a forwardly open filing cabinet of an opposed parallel pair of one-piece tray slide and supports, each in separable engagement with and slidable reception between retainer lugs carried by spaced uprights secured to a side wall of said cabinet, said tray slide and supports being composed of a strip of metal blanked and formed to define a pair of spaced parallel rails, closures at the opposed ends of said rails, 21 web extending between and normal to said rails, a conti uous backing strip in plane parallel relationship to said web defining upper and lower flanges projecting outwardly of said rails, the lower one of said rails being wider than the upper one and adapted to slidably support a filing tray thereon, the upper rail being formed ad- 6 jacent each end portion with a slot adjacent said web for reception of one of said retainer lugs, at least one of said upper rail pairs being formed with a slot adjacent one of their ends disposed adjacent the open end of said cabinet for reception of a laterally projecting tray pintle.

8. The combination with a forwardly open filing cabinet of a one-piece tray slide and support in separable engagement with and slidable reception between opposed L-shaped retainer lugs extending towards each other and carried by spaced inwardly projecting uprights secured to a side wall of said cabinet, said tray slide and support being composed of a strip of metal blanked and formed to define a pair of spaced parallel rails, closures at the opposed ends of said rails, a web extending between and normal to said rails, a contiguous backing strip in plane parallel relationship to said web defining upper and lower flanges projecting outwardly of said rails, the lower one of said rails being wider than the upper one and adapted to slidably support a filing tray thereon, the upper rail being formed adjacent each end portion with a slot adjacent said web for reception of one of said retainer lugs, and a spaced pair of longitudinally spaced stop elements projecting from said backing strip in a direction opposed to said rails for abutment against said uprights and for thereby limiting sliding movement of said tray slide and support therein.

9. The combination with a forwardly open cabinet of the class described of a plurality of horizontally extending, vertically spaced opposed pairs of one-piece tray slide and supports disposed in separable engagement with and slidable reception between retainer lugs carried by inwardly projecting spaced uprights secured to each of the opposed side walls of said filing cabinet, each of said tray slide and supports being symmetrical and composed of a. strip of metal blanked and formed to define a pair of spaced parallel rails, closures at the opposed ends of said rails, a web extending between and normal to said rails, a contiguous backing strip in plane parallel relationship to said web defining upper and lower flanges projecting outwardly of said rails, the lower one of said rails being wider than the upper one, the upper rail being formed adjacent each end portion with a slot adjacent said web for reception of one of said retainer lugs upon engagement and disengagement of tray slide and support, and a spaced pair of longitudinally spaced stop elements projecting from said backing strip in a direction opposed to said rails for abutment against means in said cabinet for limiting sliding movement of said tray slide and support therein, at least one of said upper rail pairs being formed with a slot adjacent one of their ends disposed adjacent the open end of said cabinet for reception of a laterally projecting tray pintle.

10. The combination with a forwardly open cabinet of the class described of a one-piece tray silde and support disposed in separable engagement with and slidable reception between opposed L-shaped retainer lugs carried by an upright secured to a side wall of said cabinet, said tray slide and support being composed of a strip of metal blanked and formed to define a pair of spaced parallel rails, closures at the opposed ends of said rails, a web extending between and normal to said rails, a contiguous backing strip in plane parallel relationship to said web defining upper and lower flanges projecting laterally of said rails, the lower one of said rails being wider than the upper one, the upper rail being formed adjacent each end portion with a slot'adjacent said web for reception of an upper one of said opposed retainer lugs, the upper ones of said opposed lugs being longer than the lower ones, the distance between their remote ends being greater than the width of said backing strip and the distance between their adjacent ends being less than the width of said strip but greater than the distance between said rails, at least one of said upper rail pairs being formed with a slot adjacent one of their ends disq a posed ad3'acent the open end of said cabinet for recep- 2,238,005 tion of a laterally projecting tray pintle. 2,901,308 3,013,853 Refexences Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 5 724,102

1,841,330 Gronberg Jan. 12, 1932 8 Wolters Apr. 8, 1941 Attwood Aug. 25, 1959 Toms Dec. 19, 1961 FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain Feb. 16, 1955 

1. A ONE-PIECE TRAY SLIDE AND SUPPORT FOR SEPARABLE ENGAGEMENT WITH AND SLIDABLE RECEPTION IN RETAINER LUGS CARRIED BY A FORWARDLY OPEN FILING CABINET, SAID TRAY SLIDE AND SUPPORT BEING COMPOSED OF A STRIP OF METAL BLANKED AND FORMED TO DEFINE A PAIR OF SPACED PARALLEL RAILS, A WEB EXTENDING BETWEEN AND NORMAL TO SAID RAILS AND UPPER AND LOWER FLANGES PROJECTING LATERALLY OF AND NORMAL TO SAID RAILS FOR RECEPTION IN SAID LUGS, THE LOWER ONE OF SAID RAILS BEING WIDER THAN THE UPPER ONE, THE 